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Lazy.....

Sorry, this a very lazy post and vaguely christmassy old photo, from an old post

by the time I get home from work and remember to take some pictures it's too dark for any decent pictures.

I have just popped back to announce the winner of my giveaway - the lovely Kelly from Last Day Of May, who was one of the first bloggers I discovered, I have decided to keep the prizes a surprise, but they are christmas inspired.

Our tree has been decorated, but I'm yet to get the holly and ivy in and make the wreath. Can't wait till we break up on friday for the hols, I have lots to do, and apparently my long awaited car should be available for collection this weekend, fingers crossed! I can't wait!

one hundred

Please excuse my unexpected departure from my little blog, I have been lying low, although I have still been popping into have a peek at what you are all doing from time to time.

There has been a few changes in the TWV household, I managed to land myself a new job as a learning support assistant in my local secondary school, I started in September and my first week coincided with the last week before this little lot (above) started to go off to their new homes, which I have to say was a bit hectic!
I absolutely love my new job, and although I have to be in work too early to drop Ella off to school in the morning, I finish at 2.40pm which gives me plenty of time to pick her up in the afternoon and get the dinner on, and I don't have to worry about childcare in the school hols either, which is lovely. I do have less time for crafting, but surprisingly the house isn't suffering too much (to my shoddy standards anyway!) as I am a serial procrastinator, and actually seem to benefit for having a little more structure to my days.

After the puppies went, we all had a little treat, Dan had a week away at his friends apartment in the Canaries, and I got myself a new favourite toy, my White iPhone 3GS, it just made sense to me, as I my old phone contracted had expired and my trusty 4 yr old iPod had just died on me, and I couldn't live without an iPod!



I also put a deposit down on a new car. My very uneconomical 13 yr old Peugeot 306 is on it's way out and needs over a grand spent on it, and so with the £2000 Scrappage Scheme we started to think about getting a shiny but tiny, cheap to keep new car. At first my husband suggested we go for one of these, the sensible choice maybe, but if I had to put up with almost zero amount of boot space for hauling that must have piece of junk furniture home it had to be a little more aesthetically pleasing.

So my research began, and it wasn't long before I was lusting after a Fiat 500 and I went online and spent a weekend designed my ideal one. But I had my doubts about it's size, and when Fiat had a bigger offer of £2900 off it's slightly bigger cousin, the Grande Punto, I decided that that would be my best option.
Only when I got to the showroom I couldn't help but be disappointed with it, it was a bit plasticy on the inside, and I could only afford the bog standard with no air-con. My attention was soon turned towards the little cute one, with all the bells and whistles, and decided that yes, I could definitely put up with leaving that bargain chair at car boot, I haven't got room for more furniture anyway!








That was 8 weeks ago, and I have been told it is expected to arrive for collection the first week in December, I have been very patient, but I can't wait! (I was told it would take 8-12 week for delivery due to their high demand)

Meanwhile, my portable hard drive broke while transferring my photo library and I managed to loose all my photos on my computer, gutted. Then my 4 yr old iBook got broken, double gutted. Lucky I was covered for accidental damage under our home insurance, and they decided to pay out which means I am now the proud owner of a brand new Macbook.



But it hasn't been all nice new things, we are facing a bit on an uncertain time with Danny's job, he has a new one on the horizon, but he has been put on a three day week since the beginning of October. Fingers crossed, the new job will start in the next couple of weeks and we can hopefully breath a sigh of relief and get back on track for the Christmas hols.


Oh, I almost forgot, this my 100th post, hence the title, it's taken a while, I'm not exactly the most prolific blogger, but in true blogging tradition, I'm having a giveaway to celebrate.
I haven't decided what the prize will be yet, but I'll work on it this weekend. To enter please leave a comment on this post, and make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you should win.
Jxx

Lucky number 18

After giving everyone who entered the giveaway a number, and asking Ella to choose one, the winner is number 18, Cathy of Pink Green, Congratulations!

I will be sending of your surprise package off very soon, (please email your address!).

But please remember that everyone who entered the giveaway will receive a little token of thanks, so if you haven't already, please email me your postal address via the email contacts link on my 'about me' blog profile so I can pop it in the post (including Alison of So Tread Softly who kindly said not to worry about sending her anything as she lives in NZ, don't worry I'll send something light!)

Happy Blogging Birthday To Me!

x


Well to be truthful it was actually yesterday, but things have been busy this week (more later).

So in true blogging style we have cupcakes to celebrate, and a giveaway, Yea!

I can't believe it's been a whole year since I started this little blog, and I'm so glad I did, I've got to know some lovely people, and made some lovely blogging friends who share my passion for "others people's old crap" as my husband calls it, my love of making and painting things, and all the other nice things in my life, as well as inspiring me and cheering me up with your lovely comments when I'm feeling low.
I still feel real excitement when I check my inbox and see that someone has left me a comment. Although over time my posts have been become less frequent (after the initial buzz of having a new blog) I still love my little blog and appreciate every little comment that anyone makes, even if I don't get time to answer them all (or if I forget!)
Thank you so much to all of you that have visited me from the beginning of my blogging days, and to all of the new people that pop by too.

So to show my thanks I am holding a giveaway, but with a difference, there will be one main winner, but everyone who leaves a comment will receive a little token of thanks, it could be some ribbon or lace, some bits of fabric, a handmade card, or something else, who knows!

The main winner will receive a larger package, stuffed with some fabric, vintage buttons, ribbon and lace, perhaps a pretty vintage cup and saucer and some other little treasures that I can lay my hands on.

All you have to do to enter is to tell me what your favourite colour is, and tell me about one of your most favourite things that you have in that colour. If that makes sense!

Now, I have to show you some of my latest treasures........


My latest haul from the lady with the junk stall at the Saturday market in town, you have to look hard because most of it is a bit grubby, the candlestick holder was really dirty and covered in old wax but it scrubbed up lovely, along with the three pretty floral ceramic brooches.
The embroidered picture was a great find but was in a falling apart dodgy black plastic frame with a very dirty mount, here I've already put it in new frame and mount from the hardware shop, which has now been painted in ivory.


Next is my latest charity shop finds, all vintage cotton pillowcases, on different days, in different shops, but for the grand total of £4.45


These were the first £1.95 for a pair of pink candy stripe with a ruffly edge.


Next where a pair of white cotton housewife pillowcases with a pretty hand embroidered edge for £1.25


and finally a pair of white cotton square oxford pillowcases dotted with little embroidered blue roses for £1.25

all in mint condition without any stains, you can imagine my joy, all I need now is some square pillows to put the blue rose pillowcase on! I am doubly pleased as well, because charity shop finds are becoming very thin on the ground in my neck of the woods, and often when you do find them they are a bit overpriced for my liking.


Oh....I almost forgot, the reason for me being rather busy this week is my new project, on Monday I was chatting to my neighbour over the garden fence about the fact that I was keen to start a vegetable patch (spurred by recent TV chefs that shall remain nameless, as I'm sure you know who I mean) but due to long waiting lists for the council' s allotments and the restricted space in my garden I wasn't having much luck.

Anyway she mentioned that a while back she used have a vegetable patch towards the back of our other neighbour's (86 yr-old Joe) rather large garden, but after an operation a couple of years back she gave it up, but she was now keen to start again. So later that day she had a word with Joe, as she knew he was having trouble up keeping what was grass and hedge, and so in return for keeping the back of the garden tidy, and a few vegetables once they are grown I am now the proud owner of a plot.

So this whole week has been spent clearing the long grass and brambles, digging new beds, huffing and puffing, and constructing wooden frames to create two neat beds of my very own, I'm so pleased, and even more pleased I did all the back braking work to get them!

It has been a bit of a race against time, because as you will probably know if you are a veg grower, it's a bit late in the season, so time is of the essence to get some use out of it this year.

Also, tomorrow we are off to Southwold for the weekend. Mum and Dad have rented a house there for two weeks right on the sand dunes next to the beach (and it's got a verandah!), and we are to be the first of their many guests. So Lily is being bundled off for her first stay in kennels, and the car is already loaded up with buckets and spades, balls, picnic paraphernalia, polka dot windbreak, and clothes for all weathers (the forecast hasn't been great, but that won't dampen my spirits, we will cook sausages on the beach!) So wish me luck, and fingers crossed it doesn't rain too much!

Sometimes it snows in april

But it's nice to be cosy indoors with a cup of tea....



This week I'll be busy uploading this lot onto the website....



lots of pretty floral china, waiting patiently to grace someones dresser



I also wanted to show you some books.....



the one on the right I bought from Ella's nursery, because last year my mother gave me the one on the left. It was my great grandmothers, and she owned it in 1916



The new version is very funny, and makes me giggle out loud when I read it, so if you come across it (I got it from The Book People for £4) I would definitely recommend it.
I just wanted to show the the preface from the book on the left, published in 1914.....

"If this book had been written many years ago it would have contained more pages about needlework and fewer about out-of-door exercises. Each year, however, shows how fallacious are those no more conventional notions concerning the limitations of women, for men are being eclipsed from time to time, not only in the examination room, but even in the field, upon what they had considered hitherto to be their own ground.

How gracefully and well does a woman ride a bicycle usually; how hump-backed and ungainly do most men appear upon the same machine! Moreover, girls do not throw away the good they have won on the hockey field, and in the swimming bath, by imbibing whiskey and other absurd concoctions, crowding into hot billiard rooms and bar parlours. Thus it is easy to see even now as we walk along the streets how girls and women are surpassing boys and men in carriage, health and intellect.

It has not been possible in this book to exhaust all the subjects that have beeen mentioned, but intelligent girls, having selected their hobbies, will find means to purse them beyond the limit which space has imposed upon us in these pages."

I don't know about you, but I was surprised how forward thinking it was!



I have recently received a couple of lovely packages that I wanted to show off.
I won this gorgeous little needlecase in a giveaway over at Florence Hope, thank you very much Ladies!



and this morning postie brought me this lovely package from Beata at Rosehip, I'm so chuffed I managed to get this one from her Etsy shop, as they where selling like hot cakes, and each one was bought up as soon as she listed them! I was determined to get one made with this pretty floral fabric - just by chance, does anyone know where I can buy this fabric from, or what it's name is?

Finally I thought I'd let you know that I am going to be at the East London Craft Guerrilla Craft Fair in Walthamstow Village on 26th April so if your about, come on down.

and the winner is........

Picked by random number generator.......


:::::::::::::Miss Sew n Sew:::::::::::::::


Congratulations! please email me your address via the link on my blogger profile, and I will send you out your little jug with a few little extra surprises.

Nice Jugs!

I don't know about you, but I can't resist a nice jug. As Dorcas says in Larkrise to Candleford, "they are my one weakness".
After finding a lovely glass jug (perfect for Pimms!) for £2 in the charity shop the other day, I decided to gather up my ever increasing collection to see how much I already had. (they are deceptively dotted around the house in various locations in the hope that Danny won't notice any new additions, and instigate a jug ban!)



As you can see, there seems to be a blue theme.

Then the next day, at my first car boot sale of the year, this beauty caught my eye. I clocked it as soon as I arrived, but since I had recently discoverd how many jugs I actually had, I managed to refrain myself. Only when we had finished going round, and mum and I where making our way back to the car did I give in, and for the grand total of £1, I'm so glad I bought it love it more each day, it's lovely colour and the bow is so pretty!




So in the spirit of 'Jug Love' I'm having a giveaway, in which you can win this pretty little miniature one (below), along with a few other little surprises I can lay my hands on. All you need to do is leave a comment by next sunday (9th) and the winner will picked at random and announced on the monday.



P.S. I hope you all had a lovely Mother's day! I did, I got a homemade card from Ella, and we went to Mum and Dad's for sunday lunch where we had Jamie's slow cooked lamb, and a Victoria sponge sandwiched with rasberry jam, fresh rasberries, and double cream made by me and inspired by the one Kelly made for her hubby's birthday.

Jessica, Eco Warrior and Giver of Gifts

Got a little side-tracked from work today, came over a bit Dave Angel and made a bag, something that I have been meaning to make ever since the Anya-Bloodly-Hindmarch, 'I'm not a plastic bag' fiasco, maybe I'm just a bit bitter cause I didn't get one (I turned up at 7pm and they'd given them all way, even though sainsburys said they weren't selling them till 8am!) but I didn't think it was worth getting up and there for 5am.

Anyway, so I made an 'Eco Grocery/Shopping Bag' from the bolt of cotton that I got from the car boot at the weekend for £2.50, it's about 14"wx16"dx5"d and I've sewn creases on the edges to help it keep it's shape, I'm quite pleased, now all I have to remember is to take it with me when I do the shopping! (does anyone else have this problem!!) Luckily It folds up quite neatly so I shall have to keep it in my handbag at all times, maybe I should make a little bag to keep the big bag in, what do you think? Cute? Excessive? Bonkers?

With regards to the giving, I have signed up to the Pay It Forward Giveaway, via Kimberley @ Tullulah House, So, according to the rules, I'm announcing my own! Here's the original text of the challenge, as copied from Kimberley's blog:

"Now here is how it works! I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange! I don't know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week...LOL... but you will receive it within 365 days, that's a promise! and it will be something yummy!! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog..."

So for the first three people who leave a comment, I look forward to reading all about you in your blog and the things that you like, and making something special for you!